Bond's Aston Martin
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Bond's Aston Martin

James Bond has employed the services of many a car throughout his illustrious career, careening from a submersible Lotus Elise S1 to a mobile-phone-driven BMW 750iL to a Bentley Mark IV -- all with the same careless bravado with which he changes paramours. But unlike his endless romantic escapades, 007’s automotive heart -- and that of his fan base -- devotedly belongs to the exotic yet ever-so-British Aston Martin.

It’s a love affair that started in the franchise’s third installment, Goldfinger, in which a rather condescending Q introduces Bond to the DB5. There, the surly gadget master takes 007 through the litany of weaponized accessories and tools of deception that he’s installed in the gorgeous GT: revolving number plates, oil slicks, smokescreens, twin rifles that pop up from the headlights, Ben Hur-style tire slashers. Production Designer Sir Ken Adam and Special Effects Supervisor John Steers stuffed so many outlandish gadgets into the two-seater that the movie quite literally couldn’t contain them all. Had the script allowed, one would have also seen James enjoying a radar dish in the mirrors, exploding nail dispensers, a weapons tray and even (gasp!) a car phone in the hand rest. Luckily for Bond, the DB5 did famously keep its passenger eject button hidden in the gear shift -- perfect for jettisoning an abductor while avoiding Chinese soldiers blessed with the marksmanship of drunken rednecks. But I digress.